The Missouri State University Libraries will host a screening and panel discussion of “Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road” at 7 p.m. June 14 in room 101 of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the MSU Springfield Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

A closer look

The documentary film series “Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road” explores how women overcame segregation and gender discrimination to build fulfilling lives for themselves and generations to come on America’s most beloved road.

After the screening, film producer Michelle Kantor will be joined by a panel of experts for a discussion, including MSU Libraries Head of Special Collections Anne M. Baker, author and photographer Shellee Graham, and President of the Riveter Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, Karan Andrea.

Connections on campus

This event pays particular attention to important Missourians past and present, including the inspiring entrepreneur Alberta Ellis in Springfield who operated a hotel along Route 66 to serve African American travelers.

The MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives is home to the “Ora ‘Cricket’ Logan Collection,” which documents the life and accomplishments of former Springfield resident, Ora Logan, and her mother, Alberta Northcutt Ellis. The Ora “Cricket” Logan Collection is available to researchers, but it is not yet fully processed. The archive has a detailed list of the materials, so researchers can request specific items from the collection. For more information, contact MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives.

The bigger picture

The screening and discussion of “Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road” is held in conjunction with Chix on 66 – a group of forty women motorcyclists who are riding the “Mother Road” to Santa Monica, California.

The event is made possible with support from the Harley Davidson Foundation, the Missouri State University Libraries, the Route 66 Association of Missouri, and Chix on 66.